Secret Reporters No place to hide
Secret Reporters
In spite of the litigation faced by the Halliburton Energy Nigeria Limited following the June 27th, 1996 Cement Fluid tank explosion at ACM Industrial Community Trans Amadi Port Harcourt, with death tolls reported, It seems to be a long call to freedom from the lingering court case of the Multimillionaire Company as documents made available to SecretReporters disclosed that the Energy service company in abject connivance with its legal cohort has been found wanting in the act of conspiracy and fraud.
In a petition filled in by Paul Adejo Esq and Ejiga Joshua Esq of Ojomideju Legal Rights, against Halliburton company dated 19th of October 2018, the solicitors representing the aggrieved beneficiaries of the ACM Industrial community cement explosion, ascertained that a sum of N830M (Eight Hundred and Thirty Million Naira) was supposedly awarded against the Halliburton Nigeria limited in accordance with the Rivers State High Court judgment in suit NO: PHC/269/98 on the 21st day of December,2004.
A draft of N739(Seven Hundred and Thirty-Nine Million Naira) comprising of N711M (Seven Hundred and Eleven Million Naira) with an interest of N28M (Twenty-Eight Million Naira) was formerly issued as the company’s first judgment payment on the 28th of January, 2005 to G.O Omereji, the then chief Registrar of the Rivers State High Court.
On that same day, Barr.B.E.I Nwofor like a sly fox wrote a desperate letter without the power of the Attorney to G.O Omereji requesting for the transfer of the said amount into his bank account with the assurance that the money will be paid directly to the beneficiaries. On the third day (31st of January, 2005), the then chief Registrar acted on the written document of the Barrister without a verified power of the attorney and in a letter written by him to the Bank authorized the transfer of the first installment payment of N739M made by Halliburton company.
SecretReporters also gathered that, the submitted power of attorney was allegedly forged in collaboration with the company’s judicial cohorts and the Citi bank group on 20th February 1998 and was reportedly sent in between the 3rd and 10th day of February for attestation to give room for legitimacy after the judgment and the first judgment sum has been paid.
This singular act was seen to have paved way for the ‘’unrepentant looter” as the Halliburton company like birds of the same feather joined forces with Adewale Atake Esq of the Templar Chambers and Barr. Nwofor et al. to fleece the remaining balance of N128M (One Hundred and Twenty Eight Million Naira ) apportioned to the beneficiaries to their private pockets leaving the bereaved community with nothing.
Sequel to this, His Royal Highness, Eze Odum in his outcry complained bitterly about the misery they have been put through as guns and ammunition were allegedly used to abate those who stood up against them.
Furthermore, in another letter tendered by Adewale Atake Esq of Templars Chambers representing the Halliburtons on 16th of November 2018, the company denied all allegations levied upon them.
Paul Esq Adejo and Ejiga Joshua Esq of the Ojomideju Legal rights on the other hand, in their aggressive reply letter dated and signed on the 29th of November, 2018, reiterated that the Halliburton and the Templar chambers are guilty of all the allegations charged against them as findings from EFCC Investigations after the judgment of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt in suit NO: FHC/115/2010 showed that the sum of N1.174B reflected in various bank transaction statement between the company, Halliburton and Barr Nwofor.
The acts of Halliburton and their cohort were further classified as unprofessional and indecent (fraudulent) in the letter as they were accused of bribing some staff of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and some members of the judicial staff of Rivers State High Court to bend the cause of justice against their client.
The company was however given 10 days to make available the power of attorney sent in for attestation with the demand of N1Billion (One Billion Naira) to be paid to the aggrieved beneficiaries.
A petition reminder was also tendered by the Director Citizen’s Right Department under the Attorney general of the federation against Halliburton Energy Service, Citi group Bank on the charges of conspiracy on the 11th of December 2018.
Efforts made to contact Barr Nwofor proved abortive as all calls placed to his known phone lines were declined with no reply from the text messages sent to him as at the time of filing this report.
